3rd May 2010

Bogie Bags Granite

Image Courtesy of www.lindsayphotosport.co.uk

Three different winners on three rounds of Hankook Scottish Rally Championship so far, and not necessarily the names you would expect to see, although it was only a matter of time before reigning champions David Bogie and Kevin Rae did the business. That they did last Saturday on the Station Garage Mitsubishi Granite City Rally. Vintage stuff, but by crackey they had to work for it.

Jock Armstrong and Kirsty Riddick were second after a steady run while Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy’s third place was secured, but only after a visit to the grocer’s shop!

Fair weather, but cold, greeted the 118 crews at the rally start in Aboyne with the 2WD cars up to 2 litres (8 valves) running ahead of the 16 valve 2 litre cars and the 4WD classes. That meant dust of course, and yet this strange wee nation of ours still had snow in places in the deeper parts of the forest!

Results:
1 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Mitsubishi EVO9) 41m 26s
2 Jock Armstrong/Kirsty Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 41m 43s
3 Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi EVO6) 42m 00s
4 David Wilson/Drew Sturrock (Mitsubishi Lancer) 42m 24s
5 Alick Jerr/Neil Shanks (Subaru Impreza) 42m 36s
6 Paul Benn/Richard Cooke (Ford Focus WRC) 42m 50s
7 Andy Horne/Jim Howie (DAM 4100) 42m 51s
8 Barry Groundwater/Daniel Paterson (Mitsubishi EVO9) 43m 12s
9 Wayne Sisson/David MacFadyen (Mitsubishi EVO9) 43m 26s
10 Craig McMiken/Christine Sanderson (Mitsubishi EVO9) 43m 39s

Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, read the full report here; www.jaggybunnet.co.uk.

6th April 2010

Sinclair wins Borders

 

The second round of this year’s Hankook Scottish Championship was one of high attrition. Many drivers succumbed to the treacherously wet and slittery stages. Even though it dried up a wee bit in the afternoon, it was still like Dancing on Grease underfoot and undertyre.

Cock o the North was young Dave Weston. The Subaru driver was in his element in the slippery conditions, but he’s got no fear that boy. Taking his best ever rally result was Shaun Sinclair in 2^nd place overall, but he takes maximum Hankook points as Weston hasn’t registered in our own national series. Slightly off the pace all day was David Bogie who has registered but was using this event purely as test exercise ahead of the British Championship opener in Wales. He was messing about with suspension settings and spring’s all day and still wasn’t happy at the rally finish.

Wayne Sisson was happy with a finish let alone 4^th place after his woopsie on the Snowman and Alick Kerr in 5^th place was almost wishing for snow again after his superb result in Inverness. Leaving the Borders leading the Championship certainly made up for the lack of snow.

The results of the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally have opened up the Hankook title chase. First round winner Jock Armstrong failed to score when is gearbox broke on the first test of the day and last year’s runner-up, Mike Faulkner broke his diff. Jim Carty lost hydraulic pressure on his front diff and was doubtful about finishing while Steve Petch called it a day when the Hyundai’s subframe broke on the fourth test. David Wilson went off in SS3 and that was his rally run.

Steve Bannister was top 2WD finisher while Frank Kelly’s hopes took a nosedive in Kielder Ditch. If it hadn’t been for 9 big burly blokes there he would have stayed, but they got him out although he later retired while Jonny Greer was plagued with a persistent misfire and retired before the finish.

Winner of the 1600 section Carl Tuer summed it up best: “It was lethal. I couldn’t get the MG into top gear on the long 4^th stage. The road seemed to have a crown in the middle of it after the forestry lorries had been through and we were slipping off one side, then the other. Lethal!”

Just glad to finish was Stewart Davidson in the Proton: “We pushed on in the long 4^th test and it was just nice to finish a Border for a change without any indiscretions.”

Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, Abbey Place, Jedburgh.

2nd February 2010

Snowman tyre dispensation



We are only a few weeks away from the Hankook Scottish Rally Championship opener and the stages are covered in snow. As a result the Championship organisers and Hankook have issued a dispensation on the tyres eligible for the event. Check the Championship website here for details. 

The organisers were in the stages over the weekend to check the route and the snow. The reports coming back are that the stages have varying amounts of snow in them and that they are planning to get a plough into the stages this weekend. A few of the stages had a fresh dusting of snow last week so that will provide some form of grip for those on the right tyres. 

A meeting has been scheduled with the Forestry Comission to arrange a suitable time and day to plough the stages. The hope is that this will happen before Bill carries out the route note survey to ensure continuity. We will have more information from the organisers as a result of the meeting with the Commission on Thursday which will allow us to schedule the survey.

Scotmaps are still planning to send all the orders received by this Friday out on the scheduled Tuesday 9th Feb date but please bear with us as this will depend on the ploughing schedule. 

So far the event has 68 entries and Scotmaps have only had 27 orders so please remember that we need to receive your order this week in order to despatch your notes on the first available delivery date. Please check back here and our twitter updates for progress reports.